We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caterine Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caterine below.

Alright, Caterine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

When I launched my company Way Forward on April 10th, 2021, I was heavily inspired to design products that push people to never settle for the status quo and contribute to the emerging movement of sustainability and transparency within the fashion industry. I am committed to ensuring that Way Forward celebrates handcrafted and unique pieces that honor the work of local artists and artisans throughout the greater New York area. I have always been against unsustainable manufacturing practices within the fashion industry given that in my opinion it hinders creative expression and restricts a company’s ability to produce great quality products that are incredibly meaningful. Thus, when starting my company, I wanted to ensure that we made products with only the highest quality that featured designs and ideas from artists local to New York.

Caterine , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While I had a very successful law career in Colombia, I made the brave decision to move to America and pursue a career in fashion. Knowing not much about the fashion industry, I took a fashion marketing course at Parsons in New York City and gained many important skills that would be very useful later on in my career. Following my completion of my program, I decided to start my own fashion company, Way Forward, which focuses on high quality, one-of-a-kind loungewear. I have gained invaluable lessons and have grown so much as a person and as an entrepreneur when working in this industry. Because of this I wouldn’t change a thing and recommend that no matter how much experience you have in the fashion industry, you should take a risk and believe in yourself.

How did you build your audience on social media?

To be honest, I have never liked social media and have always found engaging with it to be stressful and not natural to me. However, since launching Way Forward, I have come to the understanding that nowadays, having a strong social media presence is integral to the success of a business. Investing time and money into growing your social media presence can make or break a business because it is one of the best ways to grow your audience. While I didn’t know what approach to take or how to best engage with people online, I have been investing a lot more time and effort to upgrade my social media presence. In the past few months, I have prioritized the act of storytelling and being open and honest with my audience. Having a level of transparency and communicating a clear message is key to growing an audience and strengthening your social media presence.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Given how blessed I feel to have been able to open my very own store in the West Village nearly one year ago, I find that most people buying my products stumble upon my store because they are walking around the neighborhood and are intrigued by my store and the message I try to portray. I have been grateful enough to have numerous repeat customers who value what my company represents and come back because they love my products. I am currently working on expanding my online presence and hoping to gain more customers from my website which is a work in progress. l know that with a very effective and engaging online presence, I would be able to significantly increase my customer base and expand my business further.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wayfrwrd.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfrwrd/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Wayfrwrd/100064934442156/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayforwardbrand

Image Credits
Nicholas Wimmer